Are supplements(vitamins, creatine, etc) a unregulated market ?

Nope.

Since vitamins and minerals can cure and prevent illness, pharmeutical companies can’t afford to let people get a hold of them, or understand their true value. So they spend millions lobbying governments to regulate them for “safety.” Never mind that natural supplements are many many times safer than any government-approved drug, or that “mainstream” medicine has failed to solve humanity’s most pressing health concerns. American’s are lucky to still be able to buy most supplements, but this is not the case in other develped nations like those in the European Union. And the UN is doing its best to make regulation go global with Codex Alimentarius.

But they are a lot less regulated than other drugs. Hence, the competitive price, huge selection, impeccable quality, and all-round customer-orientation of your average vitamin shop. You can get protein in a variety of flavors with an astounding spectrum of specifications, from high-carb to low-carb and everything in between and the price is extremely competitive. You can feed yourself for 70 cents a meal on quality protein shakes.

Clayton -

You’re right. Nothing makes me happier than walking into a health food/vitamin store. It’s like heaven.

To get a supplement on the market, all you have to do is prove that it does no harm. So, for testosterone boosting supps, you just have to prove that test levels go back to normal a month after you stop taking the supplement (iirc).

Cynics might predict that the most successful companies are the ones with crappy products and a lot of advertising hype. Muscletech is the kind of company that pulls that sort of marketing. They don’t even have any products in bodybuilding.com’s top 10 most bought supplements. Optimum nutrition, a brand that opts for austere packaging, simple products, good taste, and good value, has 3/10 of the top supps.

And muscletech isn’t even completely stupid. They don’t fill their products with sawdust. My problem with muscletech is their products are just a jumble of ingredients, have poor taste and mixability, and have too many carbs in them. If you’re looking to bulk up, and don’t care if you get fat, maybe its a great brand for you :stuck_out_tongue:

Check out the DSHEA for details.